Transit slowly resumes

Some planes at Albany flying again, but NYC systems still suspended

Updated 11:13 pm, Tuesday, October 30, 2012

A screen displaying cancellations for all trains at headed to NYC at the Albany-Rensselaer Train Station on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012 in Rensselaer, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)

A screen displaying cancellations for all trains at headed to NYC...

All trains to NYC were cancelled at the Albany-Rensselaer Train Station on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012 in Rensselaer, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)

All trains to NYC were cancelled at the Albany-Rensselaer Train...

A couple of stranded passengers wait at the Albany-Rensselaer Train Station on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012 in Rensselaer, N.Y. Hurricane Sandy caused cancellations for Amtrak. The girl at left is Madeline Gonzalez from Chicago and is traveling to Framingham, MA. The man at right (requested his name not to be used) was from Alaska and is relocating in Conn. He bought the sleeping bag and mattress at a local Walmart. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)

A couple of stranded passengers wait at the Albany-Rensselaer Train...

A couple of stranded passengers wait at the Albany-Rensselaer Train Station on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012 in Rensselaer, N.Y. Hurricane Sandy caused cancellations for Amtrak. The girl at left is Madeline Gonzalez from Chicago and is traveling to Framingham, MA. The man at right (requested his name not to be used) was from Alaska and is relocating in Conn. He bought the sleeping bag and mattress at a local Walmart. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)

A couple of stranded passengers wait at the Albany-Rensselaer Train...

Stranded passenger Madeline Gonzalez from Chicago and is traveling to Framingham, MA. waits at the Albany-Rensselaer Train Station on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012 in Rensselaer, N.Y. Hurricane Sandy caused cancellations for Amtrak. Dunkin Donuts supplied free coffee and food to her and other stranded passengers. (Lori Van Buren / Times Union)

Stranded passenger Madeline Gonzalez from Chicago and is traveling...

This photo provided by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York shows a boat resting on the tracks at Metro-North's Ossining Station in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, in Ossining,N.Y. Sandy, the storm which was downgraded from a hurricane just before making landfall, caused multiple fatalities, halted mass transit and cut power to more than 6 million homes and businesses. (AP Photo/Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York) MANDATORY CREDIT

This photo provided by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority of...

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, transportation has gradually rebooted across the state, though major corridors along the Eastern Seaboard remained crippled by halted buses and trains, canceled flights and closed roads.

The Capitol Region was spared the full wrath of the superstorm, but in hard-hit areas like New York City subways, commuter rails and bus service were indefinitely suspended, with no timetable for their return. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who said the storm was possibly the worst in city history, broke the news to commuters that it could be up to five days before subways resume service.

Flights

In Albany, flights resumed midday Tuesday at Albany International Airport with a noon departure to Fort Laurderdale and Orlando on Southwest Airlines, though at least 49 flights still remained canceled. Airport spokesperson Doug Myers said the airport expected to resume regular flight schedules on Wednesday.

In New York City, LaGuardia and Newark airports remain closed as of Tuesday night until further notice, while Kennedy International Airport may reopen with limited service by Wednesday afternoon, according to numerous reports. On Tuesday morning, FlightStats.com reported 5,751 flights had been canceled nationwide, down from 7,944 on Monday.

Rail

Amtrak service into New York City remains suspended because of damage to tunnels there. All Empire service trains remain canceled on Wednesday. The Maple Leaf will operate only between Albany-Rensselaer and Toronto, while the Lake Shore Limited will operate only between Boston and Chicago via Albany. The Adirondack and Ethan Allen are also canceled until further notice. Amtrak Thruway bus services associated with canceled trains are also suspended until further notice.

Necessary repairs before trains are up and running again will include removing trees and debris from the tracks, repairs to the overhead electrical power system and track and signal repair.

The Saratoga and North Creek Railway ended its summer service Monday afternoon. The railway plans to operate its Polar Express service from Nov. 16 to Jan. 6.

Commuter rails in the New York metro area and New Jersey, including Metro-North, Long Island Rail Road and NJ Transit remain suspended.

Bus

Bus service affected by the storm has resumed in most areas.

Trailways buses began limited service in areas north of Albany and into Canada on Tuesday. All service south of the Capital Region, including service to Kingston, Westchester County and New York City, remains canceled until further notice.

Greyhound service in and out of New York City remained halted as of Tuesday. However, limited service has resumed to and from Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Philadelphia. Service continues to be operational north of the New York City metro area, including the Capital Region.

MegaBus canceled much of its Tuesday and Wednesday service, including in and out of New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. Selected trips to Albany, Buffalo and Saratoga Springs were scheduled to resume at noon Wednesday.

Roads

Most major bridges and tunnels into New York City are reopened. The Holland and Brooklyn-Battery tunnels (now the Hugh Carey Tunnel) remain closed.

Throughout the state, flooding and debris has periodically shut down roads.